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Reports
from multiple independent sources have corroborated reports that there
is concern that the well head of the leaking Gulf oil well could be
shorn from the well by abrasive sandy grit in the flowing oil causing
an unchecked flow of oil from the well.
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Presently
the leaking oil is flowing through the failed blowout preventer and a
long section of riser pipe that remained attached to the well head
after the Deepwater Horizon sank. The kinks and bends in the riser pipe
are restricting the flow of oil from the well. However, there is
concern that abrasive sand particles are mixing with the flowing oil
and acting like a "sand blaster" and eroding the interior of the pipe.
A source close to LEAN reported that employees of a contractor working
on the clean up were told to be prepared to move out of the Venice
area in the event that the well head were eroded to the point of failure by sand in the oil.
The
reason given for being prepared to move from the area was the concern
that if unprecedented volumes of oil were to be released into the Gulf
of Mexico that air quality could become degraded enough to require an
evacuation of people from the coastal areas.
In
addition, the Alabama Press-Register released articles earlier today
outlining just such a scenario with a leaked NOAA emergency response
document as evidence.
The NOAA emergency response document from April 28, 2010 stated:
"The following is not public... two additional release points were found today in the tangled riser.
If the riser pipe deteriorates further, the flow could become unchecked
resulting in a release volume an order of magnitude higher than
previously thought... There is no official change in the volume released but the USCG is no
longer stating that the release rate is 1,000 barrels a day, Instead they are saying
that they are preparing for a worst-case release and bringing all assets
to bear."
From the Press-Register article:
In scientific circles, an order of magnitude means something is 10 times
larger. In this case, an order of magnitude higher would mean the
volume of oil coming from the well could be 10 times higher than the
5,000 barrels a day coming out now. That would mean 50,000 barrels a
day, or 2.1 million gallons a day. It appears the new leaks mentioned in
the Wednesday release are the leaks reported to the public late
Wednesday night.
The emergency document also states that the spill has
grown in size so quickly that only 1 to 2 percent of it has been sprayed
with dispersants.
The Press-Register obtained the emergency
report from a government official. The White House, NOAA, the Coast
Guard and BP Plc did not immediately return calls for comment made early
this morning.
The
worst-case scenario for the broken and leaking well pouring oil
into the Gulf of Mexico would be the loss of the wellhead and kinked
piping currently restricting the flow to 5,000 barrels -- or 210,000
gallons -- per day.
If the wellhead is lost, oil could leave the
well at a much greater rate.
"Typically, a very good well in the
Gulf can produce 30,000 barrels a day, but that's under control. I have
no idea what an uncontrolled release could be," said Stephen Sears,
chairman of the petroleum engineering department at Louisiana State
University.
Let us hope that this scenario does not play out.
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LEAN is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization Louisiana
Environmental Action Network (LEAN) is a non-profit organization
working to foster communication and cooperation among citizens and
groups to address Louisiana's environmental problems.
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